We Were Better Off Yesterday

Our skies are lighter today, but look at the sun in this photo. In normal, clear skies, the sun is approx. 400,000 times brighter than the full moon. The smog today is thick enough to block most of the sun’s light, making it look more like an anemic blood moon. Yesterday, however, the sun was not visible at all.

The fact is, though, that we were better off yesterday. The marine layer was holding the smoke at a higher altitude, and our air quality was rated in the yellow moderate range. Today the smog has descended, and we are dead center of the red UNHEALTHY zone.

Here’s a shot showing the smokey air is at street level.

Of course, none of this compares to being right in the range of the fires, especially the brave women and men on the front line, and the evacuees, who’s lives right now are no clearer than our skies.

San Francisco Sky This Morning

No, I didn’t use a Sepia filter. The sky is that brown, almost matching the bldg.

The sky in SF @ 8 am this morning. It hasn’t changed yet (8:35) and probably won’t. I’ll take more shots during the day and add them to this post.

Meanwhile, CA and the west coast are not the only places in the USA with fires,

Smoke extends hundreds of miles over the Pacific.

nor are the problems confined to the US. Climate Change is real. Global Warming is real. The dangers are real.

ETA: Another pic taken about 11:15am. Facing East, looking down Market St.

It’s seemed to get darker as the sun gets higher. The orange color is deeper with the sun at this angle. You can just sort of tell it’s out there because the sky is brighter to the South. Street lights aren’t on, their timers aren’t set for these hours, but drivers have headlights on.

ETA: 2:45PM, Skies much lighter, so now the street lights are on? OK.

I am a Freak Of Kniture!

Barbara Benson posted a video on her Youtube channel called “What Kind of Knitter Are You?“, such as process v. project and comfort v. challenge. I thought I’d repost my comment here:

I don’t know if I’m a Freak of Kniture or not, but I kinda think so. I don’t have any kind of queue, as I rarely use a pattern, and often don’t even have a type of object in mind. I pick a yarn, start knitting and see what happens. I often have 4 or 5 reboots before I decide to go on. I just end up with whatever comes off the sticks, but I’m happy if it’s useful and happier still if it ranks as unugly or higher on the looks scale.

I almost never have a wip list, because I am a severely monogamous knitter. If I start to hate a project, I might just stop knitting for weeks. When I finally decide to have an illicit affair with some other yarn, it usually kickstart my mojo enough to go back and work on the abandoned project again – but not until I finish the new one. I can only recall two times when I was actively knitting on two or more projects at the same time.

My other quirk is that I have my own version of “second sock syndrome”, but for sweaters. I consider the body of a sweater as one project, and the sleeves as another, totally separate project, that just happens to be attached. So it’s ok to finish the body, set it aside for some other project, and return to do the sleeves later. In one case about 5 years later. But it’s not a WIP, it’s an FO, just waiting for another FO to hang off its sides … like I said at the beginning, I think I’m a Freak of Kniture. (Freak of Kniture = Copyright Kitten WAW)

If this makes its way to anybody’s eyeballs, I hope you’ll let me know how you feel about your knitting.

‘Tis The Season For Me To Apologize In Advance

‘Tis the season to be sitting
Fa la la la la la, la la la la (fa la la la la la, la la la la)
Down to do some present knitting
Fa la la la la la, la la la la (fa la la la la la, la la la la)
Don wants a new gay pair of mittens
Fa la la la, la la la, la la la (fa la la, la la la, la la la)
Just the left one’s all he’s getting
Fa la la la la la, la la la la (fa la la la la la, la la la la)

Imagine him as he fidgets
Fa la la la la la, la la la la (fa la la la la la, la la la la)
Trying to warm his right hand’s digits
Fa la la la la la, la la la la (fa la la la la la, la la la la)
I will tell him when he hollas
Fa la la la, la la la, la la la (fa la la, la la la, la la la)
I was too busy typing Fa las
Fa la la la la et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Happy Holidays.

It’s No Secret …

That women have the advantage over men when it comes to the number of knitting patterns written for them. Add to that the culturally accepted “Boyfriend Sweater”, which allows them to freely adapt (or just wear) men’s sweaters. There isn’t much of a movement yet for men wearing a “Girlfriend Sweater”.

Therefore I’ve had to travel around the world and through time to find this collection of men’s sweaters I’d like to have. I say have instead of knit, because I’m not sure I’m good or patient enough for some of them. There are also some women’s patterns that I think I could adapt.

The third row fascinates me. The collection of Jacket, Tee Top and Dress with black and white snowflakes from 1964, and the similar men’s snowflake pattern from (I think) around 2000. The woman’s jacket would be great with a zip, and either the dress or top converted to a long sleeve pull to coordinate. Do guys wear sweater sets? I would.

*”James Dean Sweater Story Of Legend”, a Japanese publication of mens sweater, hat and scarf patterns, featuring “James Dean” yarns. There is a short bio and  several photos of Dean, most NOT in sweaters. I wish I could read Japanese captions.

** I don’t know if this was intended to be a maternity fashion, but, sadly, it is the one that most resembles my body shape. Sigh. Not that I’m a pregnant guy.

A (Return) Visit From St. Knitolas

 

‘Tis the Day Before Christmas and all thru the world
Last minute gifts are being knitted and purled.
The stockings still hang from the needles, unfinished.
The chances to knit have greatly diminished.
The children are playing, for them trouble’s unknown.
Their gifts I’ve just knitted? Already outgrown.
What started as a kerchief became an afghan for a lap.
Oh Lord, I could use just a two minute nap.
When out on the lawn I hear sounds of name-calling,
I dash to the window, “Y’all stop all that brawling!”
I turn back to my scarf which was looking so pretty.
It’s now all in shreds, and wrapped around Kitty.
I collapse in my chair with tears in my eyes.
When my vision clears there’s such a surprise!
For there stands my hubby, in a Santa Claus suit
Offering me a bag, full of great Knitter’s Loot.
Now, Ashford! Now, Noro, Cubics from Knitter’s Pride!
Now, Hikoo! Now Koigu! and Piles of Hand Dyed!
It’s only a dream,
But ain’t it a great one?
Merry Christmas To You,
I hope you have great fun!

 

This was a poem from my first Blogging Christmas.